Victor Lindelof let Aston Villa down with what happened vs Basel – ‘Forget that’
Victor Lindelof didn’t cover himself in glory as Aston Villa secured victory over Basel.
Villa came away from Basel with a 2-1 win to send them third in the Europa League table with just one game to go in the league phase.
Unai Emery pulled off a masterstroke and brought Youri Tielemans on at half time against Basel, and he went on to net the winner for the away side.
Evann Guessand netted the opener for Villa, but they were pegged back by Flavius Daniliuc just minutes after Leo Leroy’s earlier strike was ruled out for offside.
The Frenchman’s cancelled strike didn’t reflect well on Lindelof, who came under scrutiny for his part in the proceedings.
Victor Lindelof slammed for moment of madness vs Basel
Lindelof signed for Villa on a free transfer in the summer as the claret and blue outfit were in desperate need of late reinforcements on deadline day.
The Sweden international has been largely solid when called upon, but has been utilised sparingly by Emery this campaign.
The ex-Manchester United man was called upon for the Europa League clash against Basel and will be disappointed to go without a clean sheet.
Marco Bizot was arguably at fault for the home side’s goal, but Lindelof could have been left with egg on his face if Leroy’s goal wasn’t chalked off.
Former Villa man Andy Townsend was left far from impressed by the Swede as he failed to close down the midfielder, while complaining rather than playing to the whistle.
Speaking on TNT Sports, he said: “They’re a little slow reacting [Aston Villa] to that ball after Bizot punches it into the air. Schmidt has a look, nothing in the box, now you need people switching on, now you need people to get on that ball and attack it.
“Lindelof’s got his arm up appealing, forget that, get onto the ball and stop that shot. They don’t, and they get punished.“
Lindelof was largely accomplished for Aston Villa vs Basel
The 31-year-old completed the most passes on the pitch with 82, with a 96 per cent accuracy, showcasing how he has already adapted to Emery’s system with aplomb.
There was nothing particularly special about his performance in Switzerland, but that may be just what Villa need in their squad to be successful on multiple fronts.
Lindelof took 93 touches and was also able to chip in with seven defensive contributions as Basel looked to snatch a point from the Villans.
He added four more defensive actions than his centre-back partner Ezri Konsa and completed more passes, something that is no mean feat.
The Villa faithful are pleased with what they saw from Lindelof, even if Townsend was unhappy with one lapse in concentration.
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